


Strange bedfellows

by Lautari



Series: Threading Stars [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Angst, F/M, Mutual Pining, Resolved Sexual Tension, Sex, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Working shit out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 10:21:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18050678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lautari/pseuds/Lautari
Summary: Han raised an eyebrow at Luke, but the kid just shook his head. “Don’t.”Han held up his hands and they fell in step next to each other, twins following. “I didn’t say anything.”“You didn’t have to.”“I never do when it comes to Mara.”Luke exhaled, exasperated. “Why do you dislike her so much?”“I don’t dislike her, I dislike that you come out of every round with her in a funk that takes you forever to snap out of.”“That is…”“The truth.”





	Strange bedfellows

**Author's Note:**

> Setting-between the Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy and The New Rebellion  
> 

“Well that’s-just-great,” Mara stuttered, between chattering teeth. Her whole body shook, soaked to the bone in the damp air.

“Get my bedroll-unfurled,” Luke said, no better off than she. He set the glow lamp down. “I’ll-get a fire-started.”

She started digging through his supplies, fingers fumbling and numb. “This is not how-I planned today to be-executed.”

“Well, it wasn’t-what I had-planned either.”

Luke knew she was on Coruscant before she found him. They had an unnerving awareness of each other. He was gathering kindling when what could only be described as a tap on his shoulder, made him turn, brow furrowed, and scan the horizon. She’d just entered the atmosphere. She recognized him in return and he could almost feel her turning the Fire about towards the Manaari Mountains. She knew where to find him, even without the Force guiding her. She‘d been here with him before, years ago, when they both lived on Coruscant. She appeared from the trees some time later, after setting the _Fire_ down on one of the docking pads on the Western Sea and hiking up to the cave he often used when he came here.

They’d regarded each other coolly. They hadn’t seen each other in a while, both never admitting to actually _trying to not_ see each other recently, but each secretly felt a little bit of relief at being in the other’s presence again, like a sigh after having the sun hit one’s face after being in a dark room. He’d reached out, testing the energy between them. Mara’s sense was neutral, allowing him to figure it was safe to ask if she’d wanted to join him for a run. He figured she would, but he hadn’t known what to expect from her in a long time. There was an animosity that radiated from her at times, that wasn’t quite like her hatred of him when they first met, but it was an anger that had come on gradually over the years, tinged in sadness. Not always there, but it flared consistently enough. She acquiesced, pleasing him, but the late cold season downpour they had found themselves in thrilled neither. They made it back to the cave he used as shelter, soaked and shivering.

“Don’t…try to make it …to the _Fire_. Too far. Just stay here…wait it out.”

Mara could hear Luke’s teeth chatter. “No worries, farmboy.” She winced, squeezing her braid, icy rivulets trailing down her shoulder. “There’s nothing-that could tempt me-to try it.”

He snorted.

“What?”

“Haven’t heard you call me-that in a while.” He struck the flint and a small flame appeared. He cried out triumphantly. “Got it.” He stood, body almost convulsing, and turned to her and held out his arms. “Come here.”

Normally, Mara would’ve told him to go to the deepest Corellian hell and how to get there, but right now, she was desperate for warmth and she knew he ran hotter than a podracer’s engine, despite having grown up on a desert world. Still, she hesitated.

He took a step towards her and she immediately slid back. He cursed under his breath. “You’re-a-wild animal. I-won’t hurt-you.”

Mara tried to control her breathing, shivering as Luke inched his way into her space and was breathing with her, their breath forming a single cloud. He gingerly touched her arms and began softly running his hands up and down her arms leaving a trail of heat. Finally, she murmured, “We need to get-out of these-clothes.”

He nodded and pulled his shirt over his head. Seeing his tanned skin streaked with angry scars gave her pause. She had similar, though they were less, and hers were not quite so prominent against her light skin. Hers were a gift from C’Baoth; she knew who had marked Luke’s skin. His eyes met hers and understanding passed between them. Tearing her eyes away, Mara struggled with the buttons of her own tunic but couldn’t get her fingers to work. Luke cupped his hands around them and blew into them and rubbed. “We’ll be-better in a few.”

Mara nodded and let him work the buttons enough to pull it over head. Through the shivering, she managed to kick of her boots off and peel her socks off. He pulled her leggings down and she had to give him credit for keeping his lids low. When he stood his cheeks were red. She wanted to make a comment about farm boys making the worst flyboys, but didn’t have the heart to tease him about it.

“Get in-the roll.”

She climbed in and rolled away while Luke peeled off the rest of his clothes and slid in behind her. “I’m going to wrap-my-arms around you.”

She nodded, trying to control her shaking. He rubbed her arms and back vigorously, wincing when her hair whipped across his cheek as tiny icicles. He gathered it up and laid it above their heads and buried his face in her shoulder, using the Force to warm and soothe both their bodies. “Turn around,” he grunted, through clenched teeth.

Mara turned and surprisingly pressed herself into his arms with no persuasion, wrapping her own arms around him. Her breath warmed his neck and he buried his own face in the crook of her neck again. The feel of her body against his caused his to respond even while freezing, and he was furious with it. “It’s okay,” she assured him.

Still, he shifted, embarrassed. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“Wiggle your toes,” he said, changing the subject. “Keep the blood pumping in them.”

She tangled her legs with his and he yelped when her toes brushed his calf. He glared at her. “They’re always like that,” she grinned.

He smiled softly and clamped her leg between his, holding her feet in place. “You could’ve brought the entire Empire to its knees with those toes.”

She favored him with a scowl. “Dramatic.” She pulled the blanket further up his shoulder.

They lay in companionable silence for a long time, listening to the fire crackling and the roar of the storm outside. The shivering subsided, but neither moved to untangle their bodies. “Where’ve you been?” Mara finally murmured against his chest.

He didn’t know if she was asking in the broad sense, so he kept his answer safe. “Students aren’t at the Academy right now, so I had to get off Yavin for a while.”

He felt her grimace at the mention of the jungle planet, no doubt thinking of the Academy she’d left behind. Where she’d left _him_ behind. He was suddenly angry. She’d always been about the only person who’d been able to spark his temper out of thin air and she hadn’t lost her touch. Akanah’s betrayal still floated near the surface and it only fueled his anger. He tamped it down though. He was tired of being left behind, tired of being lonely; but Mara had nothing to with the Fallanassi woman. Had nothing to really do with anything in his life. She hadn’t been a part of it in a long time, and he’d keenly felt her absence. She was one of the only people that he still trusted implicitly, and he knew that despite everything, she would never betray him. They’d been friends and comrades for a long time and he knew she’d cared for him. Deeply.

In the early days, after defeating C’Baoth, it had been the two of them, finding their way in the New Republic after leaving old lives behind, forging a bond he’d believed to be based in friendship and close training…and maybe something more. But she’d pulled away. After Byss. After he’d founded the academy. After…Callista. It was his turn to grimace. His wounds from that relationship had healed, but he still didn’t relish reliving them. His wounds in regards to Mara though, they were always fresh.

“Why are you here?”

“Kardde told me about you looking for your mother.”

“He told you?” Luke frowned.

“He knows all.” She grinned. “He likes you. I think…he wanted someone to watch out for you, maybe. Maybe he knew that I would understand.”

Luke exhaled heavily. “Leia didn’t.”

Mara wasn’t surprised. The princess was not sentimental in many aspects. “Neither of you are wrong.”

“I know, I just…”

She squeezed his arm. She understood.

“It’s over now. I’m done.”

He said it with finality, clarity, that she hadn’t seen in him for years. His slip into darkness had left him murky and foggy, and it seemed that only recently, that bright, white hot Force presence of his was beginning to burn off that haze. She pulled her head back to look at him and almost sighed at the hair that fell over his eyes. She brushed it out of the way with her fingertips, revealing those earnest blue eyes that hadn’t changed over the years. She knew they never would. It was the one constant of the universe she was sure of.

“Mara,” Luke whispered. “I –

She hissed when he grasped her hip.

“What?”

“A little tender from when I slipped.”

Reflexively, Luke looked down and immediately turned red, but didn’t remove his gaze from her body. “Mara,” he said again. “You…are a _very_ beautiful woman.”

The fact that he wasn’t dead in that moment was a good sign – she didn’t mind his eyes on her. His hand slid up to the dip of her waist and his thumb grazed the bottom of her breast. Mara sucked in a breath. “Luke…”

“Can I kiss you?”

His lips touched hers before she could respond and it was soft and brief, but they only pulled apart momentarily before she pulled him close again and Luke’s fingers were tangled in her hair, covering her mouth in a rough, fumbling kiss. She gasped and rolled onto her back with him between her legs, pulling a breast into his mouth. She carded her fingers through his hair and jerked her hips when his tongue flicked over a nipple.

Reaching down between them, Mara wrapped her hand around him. He hissed and clenched his eyes shut. “You fingers are _still_ freezing.” He gently pulled her hand away and pinned her wrists above her head. “If you touch me I won’t last,” he murmured into her neck, sliding into her.

There was no more preamble.

Mara gasped and then moaned at the sudden impalement. Luke groaned and thrust deeply. It was one of those desperate, hurried rolls in bed where they just…kriffed. With every thrust something loosened in each of them. Han would call it blowing off steam. It was just the two of them, and it just felt good, but they both knew they were crossing a line they’d been straddling since they’d met. Neither wanted to think about that in the moment.

The only sounds were their bodies slapping together and the pants muffled by each other’s necks. Luke held her wrists steady, but let go of one at one point to bury his fingers in her hair, teeth grazing her jawline, fighting the urge to bite her neck. Her free hand clutched at his back, digging in just enough to cause Luke to hiss and trail his hand from her hair to her breast, squeezing an already pert nipple. She gasped and arched her back, the change in angle bringing them closer to climax as he continued to thrust into her with singlemindedness. Her head lolled back as she wrapped her legs around his waist to trying to bring him closer. He hooked one of her legs over his elbow and thrust once, hard, with a smooth roll of his hips, and then settled into a quick pace, completely lost in the act. His breaths became short and erratic before he slowed again to long and lazy thrusts trying to keep himself under control.

Mara’s eyes nearly rolled back in her head. “Kriff, Luke…”

He smiled against her neck at the sound of his given name on her lips. He kissed her again deeply while thrust inside her. Mara sighed against his mouth. “Let me ride you,” she whispered.

Luke was more than willing, the ever generous partner in bed. He slid into her fully and rolled them, without slipping of her body. She sat astride him and rolled her hips. He moaned and braced his hands against her breasts, kneading them. She leaned into his touch and moaned as she raised herself and then sank back down on his length. He muttered a Hutt curse and fought the urge to thrust his hips, allowing her to set the pace and have her way with him. She stretched and leaned back and brace her hands on his thighs and rode him, each thrust hitting her in a way that brought her to stars within a few strokes. His finger had found his way to her clit, and he helped her along, watching her face as she rode out the pleasure. She gasped, satisfied and collapsed against him allowing him to find his own climax. He rolled them again and with her pleasure met, rutted her hard, his arm cradling her head or else she would’ve been shoved into the cave wall.

She wrapped her legs around him again. “Let go, Luke,” she breathed into his ear.

He groaned and froze, cumming in spurts. He thrust again, and then again slowly, stroking her through his orgasm before collapsing on her. He gasped and she ran a hand through his hair, shushing him. He moved to roll off her, but she held him. “Stay. You’re not heavy.”

They were silent for a long time, the only sound was their breathing evening out. Luke rested his head beside hers and he placed feather kisses on her neck while stroking her hair. He might’ve dozed off once or twice, eventually slipping out of her. Mara simply soaked up the warmth and watched the cave grow darker as the day wound down. The storm had lessened to a light rain. They weren’t sure what to say to each other, not sure what they _wanted_ to say to each other, so they talked about everything but what they needed to.

They talked about his niece and nephews. The youngest, being his little shadow.

They talked about her newest modifications to the _Fire_.

They talked about his last get together with Wedge and Hobbie and how he had no clue as to how they ended up back at headquarters asleep in cockpits they’d managed to climb into without ladders. He was certain a “Force toss” had been involved.

They talked about her last visit to Chandrila, and how she’d sat on one of the beaches and created little funnels of water in the waves. He smiled, delighted at her skillset, always encouraging.

They even talked about that blasted astromech of his.

He stood to stoke the fire, stretching, and Mara admired the lines of his naked body. She thought perhaps the spell was broken, the world was going to filter into the bubble of the cave, but he simply crawled back under the covers again after rekindling the flames. He gathered her against his chest and they watched the flames dance.

“Did I ever tell you about the desert roses my aunt grew in the courtyard of our farm?” Luke asked her suddenly.

She shook her head.

“They’re hardy, don’t need a lot of water, but don’t do well in complete sun, so they’re usually found somewhere where they can get shade at least part of the day, like crevices or rock overhangs.” He stretched out a hand and his finger twitched. A stem began emerging from the flames. “But she had these growing in pots. A few of them actually survived the attack on the farm,” he whispered. “I remember seeing the bright pink through the smoke.” He shook away the memory. “They close up at night, and when they opened in the morning they would smell, like perfume women sometimes wear.”

As he spoke, a rose formed in the flames, petal by petal. Mara stiffened at the sight. “What?” he asked. “You’ve never seen someone manipulate fire?”

She shook her head, slowly. “Just one other. A long time ago.”

He let the rose dissipate and yawned. “Go to sleep, Mara,” he murmured against her shoulder.

She nodded, but was awake long after he began snoring softly, thoughtfully stroking the finger that had conjured the rose from the flames.

**OOOOO**

“Never thought you’d be the type to sleep in.”

Luke grinned but kept his eyes closed. “I left that “up before the suns” nonsense behind on Tatooine.” He stretched, arching his toes. “I’d say it doesn’t matter what time you get up, you’re still crankier than krayt dragon.”

He reached out expecting to still find her next to him, but Mara’s spot was cold. He opened his eyes to find her musing at him crouched over small flames of the dying fire, an arched eyebrow over the brim of her cup. “I don’t know what is more disappointing, your Outer Rim vernacular or this caf.” She tossed him his clothes. “They’re mostly dry.”

Luke grinned, though disappointed they didn’t laze about more. “I didn’t even ask you why you’re on Coruscant,” he said pulling on the tunic, wincing when the cold damp touched skin.

“What else?” Mara poured out the last of her cup over the coals. “Business. The unfinished kind.”

“Ah.”

They packed up what little they had and walked down the trail together to the water where they each had a docking pad. Neither said anything, not wanting to ruin whatever had passed between them, knowing that the past and all the hurt was still too close. “Will I see you back in civilization?” Luke asked softly once they reached her ship.

She tossed her hair behind her shoulder, nervously. “You never know,” she said, slyly.

He grinned and gave her a playful shove in the shoulder. “See you soon, Jade.”

She watched him with soft eyes, as he shouted a greeting at Artoo and had him fire up the X-wing.

They flew back to the Imperial Palace hangar on each other’s wing, Mara having to roll her eyes at the barrel rolls he insisted on executing over the water. “Serene Jedi Master my ass,” she murmured.

They had a landing party there to greet them when they arrived, apparently both having commed ahead. They climbed out of their ships at the same time, Luke grinning at the little Solos running to greet him, but his step faltered when he saw Lando Calrissian standing with Han. His gaze shot over to Mara, angry for a split second before disappearing. He smiled again and scooped Anakin into the air as the little boy reached him. Han followed closely barking at the kids to take it easy as the twins tried to climb their uncle.

The old smuggler raised an eyebrow and looked back and forth between Luke and Mara. “Interrupting?”

“No,” they both said in unison. Han smirked.

They both blushed, but Luke adjusted his hold on his youngest nephew and nodded at her. “Lando is waiting.”

It was a dismissal.

Mara frowned. “Luke…”

“It’s okay. Thanks, Mara. For everything.”

If possible, she blushed harder, but nodded curtly. She opened her mouth, but hesitated, choosing to just nod again and stomp towards Lando. Han raised an eyebrow at Luke, but the kid just shook his head. “Don’t.”

Han held up his hands and they fell in step next to each other, twins following. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“I never do when it comes to Mara.”

Luke exhaled, exasperated. “Why do you dislike her so much?”

“I don’t dislike her, I dislike that you come out of every round with her in a funk that takes you forever to snap out of.”

“That is…”

“The truth.”

Luke bit back a retort and watched Mara’s form descend down a lift with Lando. Her back was turned firmly away from him. “Let’s just go get some food. I’m starved."


End file.
